Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just wanted to raise with the Senate an issue of concern to those senators who sat on the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People on the tabling of our final report. Over the last 24 hours, we became aware that earlier iterations of the draft report had been made public in various media outlets. It is of deep concern to those of us who worked very, very hard on that committee to come to a bipartisan and unanimous report. I also wanted to inform the Senate that Senators Peris, Siewert and I have written to the President on this issue, as it raises concerns about the manner in which we choose to conduct ourselves as members of Senate committees and potentially on matters of privilege.